Folding lunch-box.



c. w. SCHLBIER. ronnme anna BQX. APPLICATION mm) 1:43.21, .1911.

I Patented Feb. 20, 1 912.

position.

after" the locking device. which ST f Q-ES ?A FE T romaine LUNCH-Box.

To all iaterm 'Lt'may con'cem.'

Be it known'that 1, CHARLES W. Sonnnrnn, ac'itizen of the United States, residing at lvellstomin the c'ounty of St. Louis and State 'ofMissouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding -Lun'ch- Boxes, of which-the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to improvements in that'type of lun'ch'boxes known as folding or knockdown, and one of the objects of the invention 'is'to-construct a box of this character which shall be simple, which can be manufactured at "a low cost, and which mayibe readily folded to provide a small packaggftliat may ;be carried in the pocket of the owner without unduly bulging the pocket" iii-inconveniencing the owner.

Another object of the invention is the provision with -a box of this character having hinged sides and 'ends, of a lid or closure rovided with a bail-0r handle and having leans' cooperatingwith the box for eflec tively securing the said closure to the box, and for lock-ingthe hinged sectionsin their 'Anot-he robject of the invention is to provide a'folding lunch box having hinged sides and end's',"-the said sides and ends adaptedtoi-in'terlock when the box is in a set-up p'osition, 'providedwi-th means whereby the said sides areefi'ectively connected together when the sides are foldedover the ends when the A still further-object of my invention is theprovision in: a 9. base having and the side'hinge extensions being box is in its knock down or folded position.

box of this character of hinged sides and ends, each of the said sides and ends having its con- --necting '-"pintle constructed of a spring ele- 'ment,a= the :sa d springs adapted to automatically-swingthe .sections to an open position retains the sections-in their folded position. has been parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

actuated. w -With the above objects in view, and. others the invention resides in arrangement of Inthe. drawings,- accompanying this specification,- therehas been illustrated a simple .andzpreferredembodiment of the improvement-, itbeing understood, however, 55.

that the showing therein is merely illustrative, and

' Specification 61 Letters Patent; Applicationflled March 21, 1911. Serial No. 615,917.

showing. Fig. 3

singlestrand of resilient wire... Thai-u that changes inthe minordetails of construction, as to shape, size, proportion, ma-.

terial, etc., which fall within: the scope 'of the appended claim, may be madeif desired.

In the drawings-Figure l isla" perspecrs-211cm.

tive view of a box constructed in accordance with the present invention. :the same being shown in its set-up position. Fig. 2is a central longitudinal sectional View. of the is a transverse sectional view of the same.

5 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of one of the hinged ends; drawings, the nu;

In the accompanyin meral 1 designatesmy 1mproved'b0x,;and 2 the lid or closure for the same. The box 1 comprises essentiallya base 3,. the Same ing preferably ofarectangular,formationand having all of its edgesnpturned. to.

provide a substantially continuous flange 4,,

The upperedge of the fiangeis formedgwil a-pluralityofspaced extensions, the same adapted to be bent downwardly over the .inner faces of the flange to provide the butts 5, which upturned portions formed upon the lower edges of the side members ,6 and 7 and the end members .8 and 9 which form the extensions for the box The upper edges oi the sides and ends are also bentdownwardl upon {1y their inner faces to provide the bee s 10.- butts connected through the mediumnf a suitablepintle, and each of the saidpintles comprises the lower horizontal portibns of spring members 11. By referen e'tO FigsQ and 3 of the drawings it; will be noted; that each of .the said springs iseonstruetedbf portion. of each of the wire springs. is arranged longitudinally of the s.'. s nd; ends and the said upper portioniis adapted Q be positioned between the beads 10 an the sides and ends, and tohe securely engaged by the said beads. The upperportiohbf each of the springs is preferably centrally of and'the strands connected-With the. said top portion are brought, downwardly at an ahg' toward each other to provide what'inay termedthe legs 12 of the springsi, The legs 12 of the springs are, adaptedto lie snugly against the'inner faces of the sides and sends,

and the portions of the" spring forming" the are, adapted to coact with Each of the sides and ends'jhave their a ranged the sides and. ends of'the box,

Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the box in its folded position. Fig.

pintletfor the/butts extend in opposite di motions through the said butts and have gneir extremities bent or turned downwardly to provide the fingers 13 which normally contact with theinner faces of the flange of the base, and at corners thereof. v

The opposite ed es of the side members are flanged inwar 1y as designated by the Zg umeral's 14,'and each of these flanges is geyided-with an opening 151 The end sec- 7 fs 8 and 9 are each'provided, adjacent eir edges Wl'thPI'OjQBtlOIlS OI pintles 16, ngd the'se projections are adapted to engage iiithitiihe openings provided'by the flanges 9f the sides when the box'is in its set up position. a -By this arrangement, it will be noted that the sides and ends of the box are effectively sustained against outward movement Wh nthesaid sides and ends are set up. Theend me'mbersB and 9 have their upperedges, preferably, centrally formed with intiirned" portions 17, the said inturncd por. tions having their extremities bent upwardly to provide tongues 18. These tongues 18 are each formed with an orifice 19, the purpose of which will presently be set forth. -Theclosure 2 is of a size adapted tofit snu ly over the hinged sides and ends, when the. ox is ,inits set up position and over the flange 4 of the base when the said sides and- .ends are folded upon the base. The closure -2'-is;i0rnied with a. continuous downturned flange 20,,and"the saidflange is preferably constructed .of some flexible material so th at. 'the; said flange will frictionally engage withjthe base 3 -to prevent the separation of the closurefrom the box when the latter is folded.-' The top 2 is provided with oppositely disposed slits or openings 21 and 22,

the latter adapted to, register witl'f-the 'tpngues 180i the end members 8 and 9.

The numerals23 and 24 designate sliding bolt members which are mounted'in suitable bearings 25' and 26 upon the top of the clo- 5 sure. These bolt members are preferably epn'structedof a single stranjdof suitable w-ire, having their inner portions offset to kprovideahandle, and the said handle when g'abut'ting against either of the bearings 25 5o c1 26 limits the sliding movement of the bolt intone direction. I The closure is provided withsuitable stop members 27 and 28, which are arranged within'the path of the handles oflthe bolts-and which are adapted to limit fisithemovements ofthe said bolts in this direction. The bolts are adapted to engage with the .orifices 19 or the flanges 20, and thussecurely loclc the closure upon the hinged-sides and ends when the box is in edits'ce'nter position. The closure 2 is pro vided with abailor handle 29, the latter also, preferably, constructed of a single strand of Wire having its opposite ends vdownturned and passing through suitable so openings provided by the said closure. The

I extremities. of the said downturned portions are off-set at opposite angles, so that the hat Ie may be swung upwardly in only one direction. The off-sets of the handle are so arranged as to permit the handle to be swung closely against the top of the closure when the handle is not infuse.

By reference to Figs. 2and 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that one of the side members 7 is provided with a stud 30, while the opposite side member is indented as at 31 to provide a pocket which 1s adapted to receive the said stud and to secure. the side 6 upon the side 7 after the end members is deemed unnecessary except to state that the ends 8 and 9 are first folded within the flanged closure when thebox is to be collapsed and that the sides are then folded one. over another so that the stud 30 ofone of the said sides engages the'indented portion 31 of the second slide, thus securely locking the box in closed positionfafter which theelosure' 2 is placed over the collapsed box and its flanges frictionally engaging the flanges of the. base retain the said r-losu'rc upon the box. It will be also noted that the action of the spring members 11 is to swing the sections of the sides and ends to their open position, and it will be noted that the sides, which are provided with the inturned flanges are the first members to be opened, and that the springs acting upon the end sections will force the latter against thesa'id flange, thus automatically-setting up the'box, while the interlocking of the sides and ends as well as the bolt members of the closureengaging within the orifices of the tongues of the ends render the box extremely strong and obviates either an inward or outward movement of the sides or ends.

It will be understood that the spring mem bers may be dispensed with if desired, and

that thecover provided with its locking elements will rigidly and effectively sustain the hinged sides and ends. It will be'n'oted from the showing in the drawing that the said spring members are arranged upon the nner faces of the sldes-and ends as well as that they have their offset ends contacting with the inner faces of the flanged closure and that the said springs automatically self-adjust the sides and ends into their set up position, the flanges upon the sides serving as abutments for the ends, and as the said sides are the first to spring open, the

projections upon the said sides will be formed within the 0 enings of the ,flanges, thussustaining the ox in a position to receive its eontents and its locking cover.

, Having 'thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a box for the purpose set forth, comprising a' flanged base, the edges of the said base having integrally formed spaced butts, side and end members for the box, each of said side and end members having. one of their longitudinal edges formed'with s aced butts adapted to be arranged between 't e butts of, the flange of the base, the opposite longitudinal edges of the said sides and, ends beiniformed with inturned beads,

a springmem er having its upper portion I arranged within the beads of each of the sides and ends, said spring member providing spaced legs contacting with the inner faces of the sides and ends, the said legs being bent and extended through the butts in opposite directions, the-extremities of. the said members being bent downwardly contacting the flange of the base at thecorners thereof, a flanged closure for the box, and means for retaining the sides and ends upon the base when the said sides and ends are swung closed.

In testlmon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

' CHARLES 1V. SCHLEIER. Witnesses E. EDMONSTON, Jr., L. E. WALTERS. 

